March 12, 2010
A Bogus Choice Between Creating Jobs and Protecting Federal Lands
With the news this week, some politicians have many people believing that ideas being considered by the Obama Administration constitute a "land grab" by the federal government. Let's be clear -- the land in question is already existing federal property. The question is: should that land be used to preserve America's national treasures, or should we allow its future to be put at risk by special interests that make large campaign contributions to Washington politicians?
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Health Insurance Really Tried
I used to share a cartoon that depicted a medieval stone castle, with the yeoman of the guard in front of the moat talking to a mustachioed salesman. The yeoman was dressed in chain mail and carried a mace and a broadsword. The salesman, dressed in a three-piece suit, sat cross-legged in a machine gun nest, with the "whole nine yards" of ammo. The yeoman was saying to the salesman, "I don't have time to talk to any new-fangled gadget salesmen. I have a war to win."
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In Zimbabwe, the Voice of the Worker
Imagine being one of only five opposition voices in a country of thirteen million people, where all radio, print and television is strictly controlled by the government. That's Ben Madzimure's uphill battle everyday as editor of "The Worker," the voice of the labor movement, in Zimbabwe -- especially because his newspaper is only printed once a month, with only 5,000 copies distributed throughout the country.
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March 11, 2010
After Biden’s Israel Contretemps, Stepping Back
Included in his comments was the important statement that when it comes to matters affecting Israel's security, there is no space whatsoever between the American and Israeli positions.
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State Sales Taxes Continue to Rise
What hasn't been touted as much is how the same financial crisis is affecting states. As the federal government cuts back on funding state projects (although many, such as those related to education and homeland security, are mandated by the feds), states are scrambling to make up the difference.
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Middle Class Bailout: Celebrating Harry Hopkins’ 120th Birthday with 4 Million Jobs by August 17th.
Like the as-yet to be incurred, but already embedded, long-term costs of the Iraq War, the psychological and career trauma inflicted by prolonged unemployment are yet to be felt. But, they are real, they are profound, and they are increasing every day.
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March 10, 2010
Gina Solomon › Endocrine Disruptors in Drinking Water Gina Solomon’s Blog Endocrine Disruptors in Drinking Water
Some years ago, I was invited to speak at the Riverside County Medical Association in Southern California. A contaminant called perchlorate had been detected in the water supply, and the local physicians were concerned. I outlined the health data on perchlorate, including the fact that it blocks uptake of iodine into the thyroid gland and thereby blocks normal production of thyroid hormones. I also reviewed the science on how subtle disruption of thyroid function can permanently impair normal brain development in the fetus and neonate. Finally, I described the multiple sources of perchlorate pollution – including water contamination from rocket fuel and fireworks manufacturing. I closed by sharing the latest monitoring data, which showed that 402 public water systems serving 40.8 million people in 27 states, the District of Columbia and two U.S. territories had perchlorate in their treated water or in their water sources. California had the largest number of systems with perchlorate detections.
After my talk, an elderly physician in the audience stood up. He explained that he had spent his entire career treating patients with thyroid disease in this community. He said: “Now we learn that something in the water may be contributing to thyroid disease. What am I supposed to do about it? More importantly, what am I supposed to tell my patients? Should I tell them not to drink the water?” He went on to say: “I’m not a big fan of Government, but in this case we need the government to get involved and deal with this problem.” I agreed with him. This isn’t something health care providers and their patients should have to struggle with. This is EPA’s job.
Over five years have passed since then, and although California and other states have taken some action on this known endocrine disruptor, the EPA has failed to act.
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Granny D in the Mountains
While Granny slept that last night in Louisville, my husband Paul Martin had made the diminutive, arthritic, indomitable woman a stout oaken staff. Aware by CB of where she was on her journey from Pasadena to Washington DC, the truckers, the Knights of the Road, watched over her. Laura e-mailed from the trail however that far from leaning on the staff, Granny had attached her banner to it and was carrying it over her shoulder, waving it as the passing truckers beeped and cheered.
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Upstairs, Downstairs — A Tale of Two Continents
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is touring Europe cajoling government leaders to do more for the team. Augmented European contributions are the means to the overriding end of prosecuting the multiform 'war on terror.'
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Last Thursday, CNN was in Washington. Maybe they should have been in Coral Gables.
There, leaders of some of the country's most innovative organizations for social change met to advance their mission: finding more effective solutions to the challenges facing communities throughout the country with less government bureaucracy and fewer taxpayer dollars.
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